


Squish

by TalesOfOnyxBats



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Cute, F/F, Fluff, Insecurity, Playful teasing, Romance, Sleepy Cuddles, Soft Azula
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:14:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25896529
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TalesOfOnyxBats/pseuds/TalesOfOnyxBats
Summary: ATLA Femslash Week Day 5: Summary: Katara sees Azula without her makeup for the first time, and finds that she’s actually kind of squishy. Katara makes a habit of squishing a very grumpy princess’ cheeks. Basically unrepentant fluff.
Relationships: Azula/Katara (Avatar)
Comments: 22
Kudos: 229





	Squish

Soft is a feeling, a mental state, a physical one.

Azula had never thought herself soft in any way, not until she met Katara. She thinks that, at least in some ways, Katara has made her soft. She doesn't think that it is necessarily a bad thing. It is almost a comfort to be able to shed her stony exterior, at least for a little bit.

The princess nestles her head in her pillow. This, she is well aware, is the very first behavior that had Katara gushing that she was soft. The girl in question lays on the bed next to her and brushes her fingers against Azula's upturned cheek.

Her eyes brighten and she smiles. Azula detects a hit of mischievousness in that smile and she can't place why. She isn't left waiting very long for an answer. "You have such a squishy baby face!" The waterbender exclaims.

Azula flushes, "I do not."

"You do!" Katara exclaims. "Zuko pointed it out. I didn't see it at first but without your makeup…" she trails off, trailing her pointer down Azula's nose before giving it a delicate tap. "Like it or not, you're a softie."

Azula folds her arms over her chest, she can't imagine that her slight pout is doing her any favors from an argumentative standpoint. "I'm not soft." She grumbles again as she shifts positions before ultimately deciding that completely rolling over will be the most comfortable option. She rolls from her back to face Katara.

Katara pulls her into a hug, one arm resting at her hip and the other coming to hold Azula's mid-back. The princess presses her forehead against Katara's and closes her eyes. For a good a peaceful portion of the night, Azula has silence. She is content with Katara lightly rubbing her hand up and down the length of her spine. That had been a good hour or so. An hour or so that is so abruptly cut short by Katara stifling a laugh, "this is your hourly reminder, you're a softie."

Azula gives a haughty and disagreeing snort and blows at the strand of hair that has, in the night, fallen into her face. "This is _your_ hourly reminder that, in the Fire Nation, we sleep when it gets dark."

Katara bursts into a small fit of laughs.

Azula sighs and rolls onto her back once more and Katara's hand comes to rest on her tummy. Fixing her gaze upon the ceiling, she resigns herself to that this was going to be a long night. Katara's light touch is pleasant so she doesn't move the girl's hand.

An hour passes and the princess branches herself for her hourly reminder, but it would seem that Katara is asleep. Azula breathes a sigh of relief, but as soon as she closes her eyes she hears a soft, "psst…"

She does her best to pretend that she hasn't heard it. Katara tires a second time. Azula doesn't dare crack a smile, lest the girl see it and proceed with her commentary. Instead of another 'psst', she feels a rather hard jab on her belly. Her body betrays her with a jolt of surprise.

Katara is cackling almost madly.

"You are much too happy right now."

"And you…" she pauses. "Are…"

Azula takes a deep breath.

Katara, this time with genteler fingers, pokes Azula's cheek. "Are soft."

Azula rolls her eyes. This is the kind of behavior she would have expected from TyLee, not Katara. If for no other reason than to save her sleeping pattern, the princess caves, "alright, fine...I'm soft."

Katara flashes her a smug smile before she nuzzles her cheek upon Azula's chest. Once again, she pulls her into a hug. This time her hand comes to rest upon Azula's torso. Azula rests her own hand on Katara's back. "Now go to sleep."

"I will." Katara mumbles.

But she doesn't.

Instead she pokes Azula's belly and whispers, "squish."

Azula inhales. "I have another 's' word for you."

Katara looks up at her expectantly.

"I've got two, actually. Do you have any guesses?"

"Is one of them, 'sleep'?" Katara asks, still tapping her fingers upon Azula's belly.

"Correct." Azula replies.

"And the other?"

"Slumber." Azula mutters.

Katara chuckles again, "alright, alright, I'll let you sleep."

Azula closes her eyes, but doesn't begin to relax. Not just yet, she knows what is coming. Katara waits just long enough for it to still come as surprise when she gives Azula's tummy another squish. "Squish." She whispers again.

"This is for the tank thing, isn't it?" Azula asks with another eye roll, recalling how she'd so fervently chased Katara and her friends across the Earth Kingdom.

"It might be." Katara answers.

Azula rolls onto her side once more, snatches Katara's hands, and holds them to her chest. The waterbender cannot poke, prod, nor squish her if she has no hands to do it with. "Goodnight, Katara."

**.oOo.**

Azula supposes that soft isn't necessarily awful. It certainly isn't what she aims for, she has more of an aesthetic for sharpness and edges, but soft isn't terrible. It is very charming on TyLee, who truly does have a baby face and it look lovely on Katara, who, for herself, has rather delicate features.

Azula isn't sure that she likes it on herself though. Using several foundations, primers, and highlighters, she contours and accents her face so as to make it look less soft. She only gets the sense that she might have over compensated when Katara tilts her head and shoots her a puzzled look over breakfast.

"You know that I was just messing around, right?" Katara asks. "I wasn't trying to offend you."

"I know." Azula replies. And truly she does. She supposes that it is her own fault for not mentioning that her delicate features are a source of mild insecurity. And for not sounding firmer when telling her to stop jesting. But she had worried that a command would be taken the wrong way coming from her, being as she is still quite new to being less demanding and intimidating.

"Please, wash all of that off." Katara gestures to the makeup. "You don't need _that_ much." She pauses. "I like it when you don't wear makeup. You look great without it, I promise."

Azula looks at her palms. She feels Katara's fingers graze her cheeks. The waterbender gives her a kind smile. She pulls plucks a rag off of the table and fills a small bowl with water. "Can I?" She wets the rag and holds it up.

Azula thinks it over for a moment before nodding, "I guess."

With tender hands she dabs and wipes the makeup away. She takes a step back and inspects Azula's face, "perfect."

The princess clears her throat, "thank you."

**.oOo.**

Looking in the mirror isn't quite as hard, it wasn't exactly awful before, but now there is almost a sense of comfort. Acceptance. She might even go so far as to say that she has embraced it. She supposes that it is rather suitable for a princess to have subtler, rounder facial features. She needs at least one thing to compliment her more brazen side. She needs something to balance out the rougher aspects of herself. Where her personality is jagged her face is soft.

She supposes that her daintier face has its perks. She finds that people are more inclined to trust her when she flashes a more innocent smile. She doesn't exactly have the wide puppy dog eyes that TyLee does, nor does she have quite as much of a baby face, but her face is innocent enough for it to be effective.

Katara gives the door a soft knock. Azula finishes applying her lipstick and opens the door. She beckons Katara inside. The waterbender looks her over and grins, "you look nice today."

"I...considered what you said the other day." Azula sets her makeup brushes to the side and sits herself down and pats a spot on the mattress next to her.

"Wearing your makeup like this suits you well."

Azula nods, "thank you." She had made a point of highlighting and accentuating her softer features for a change. If only to see how she would look. "I'm glad that you like it."

"I'm glad that you feel more confident."

"Yes, I am too." She gives her bangs a lazy flick.

"About how confident are you feeling about this new look?" Katara asks.

Azula mulls it over. "Quite confident, why?"

Katara shoots a snide smile. She lifts her pointer.

"Don't you dare." Azula grumbles.

She brings it closer to the princess' face.

"Kat…"

She quickly pokes Azula's cheek,"squish!"


End file.
